Something is happening across Europe, and the UK is sitting on the sidelines, watching it unfold.
While British patients fight for consistent access to medicinal cannabis and adults continue to face criminalisation for choosing a safer alternative to alcohol, countries like Germany, Portugal, and Malta are rewriting the rules.
Not just tinkering around the edges, but taking bold, rational, health-first steps to reform outdated cannabis laws.
This isn’t about “getting high.” It’s about human rights, public health, and medical freedom.
So, what can the UK learn from our European neighbours? Let’s take a look at how these countries are doing it, and how their models could help reshape the UK’s broken approach to cannabis.
Germany: the economic and medical powerhouse moves forward
In April 2024, Germany legalised adult-use cannabis, becoming the largest country in Europe to do so. Germany’s approach includes:
- Legal home cultivation (up to 3 plants).
- Non-profit cannabis clubs (up to 500 members).
- A public education campaign on responsible use and health risks.
- A commitment to decriminalising possession and reducing the stigma.
More importantly, Germany hasn’t abandoned its strong medicinal cannabis system, which has allowed doctors to prescribe cannabis for years through pharmacies.
What can the UK learn?
Germany proves you can maintain medical integrity while embracing adult use. It shows how regulation, done properly, can take cannabis out of the shadows, reduce the black market, and protect vulnerable users.
With Germany leading the way, there’s now a blueprint for sensible reform that the UK can’t afford to ignore.
Portugal: 20+ years of decriminalisation with a focus on health
Portugal decriminalised all drugs back in 2001. And despite all the fear-mongering at the time, the results speak for themselves:
- Overdose deaths and HIV rates have plummeted.
- Drug use hasn’t increased significantly.
- People are treated as patients, not criminals.
Cannabis is still technically illegal in Portugal, but personal possession (up to 25 grams of flower or 5 grams of hash) is decriminalised, and medicinal use is permitted under regulation. While some argue the laws don’t go far enough, Portugal remains a model for public health-driven drug policy.
What can the UK learn?
Portugal teaches us the importance of language, compassion, and policy rooted in evidence, not fear.
Decriminalisation doesn’t mean endorsing drug use. It means recognising the root causes of addiction (often things like trauma, poverty, and mental illness), and addressing them through support, not punishment.
With over 1.5 million people in the UK using cannabis regularly, the criminal justice approach is not just outdated, it’s actively harming people.
Malta: the first EU nation to fully legalise cannabis
In 2021, tiny Malta became the first EU country to fully legalise cannabis for adult use. The country now allows:
- Home cultivation (4 plants per household).
- Cannabis associations where adults can collectively grow and access cannabis.
- Personal possession of up to 7 grams.
What’s impressive about Malta’s approach is its community-based model, which avoids the pitfalls of over-commercialisation seen in parts of North America.
Rather than treating cannabis as just another cash crop, Malta has centred its policy on harm reduction, safe access, and public wellbeing.
What can the UK learn?
Malta reminds us that size doesn’t matter, political will does. Even a small country can lead on progressive drug reform if it listens to science and prioritises human rights over outdated narratives.
And their community-based cannabis model could be a powerful middle ground for the UK – a way to offer safe, regulated access without unleashing a corporate free-for-all.
The UK: stuck in the past, but not without hope
Meanwhile in the UK, we have:
- A medicinal cannabis system so restrictive that only a few hundred patients can access legal cannabis on the NHS.
- A criminal system that disproportionately targets Black and working-class communities for cannabis possession.
- A public that is increasingly in favour of legalisation, yet a government that refuses to listen.
Let’s be honest. This isn’t about lack of evidence. The evidence is there. This is about ideology, control, and fear of change.
But here’s the thing: change is coming.
The cracks in the dam are growing:
- Public support for legalisation is at record highs.
- UK doctors and clinics are calling for reform.
- Politicians are beginning (slowly) to speak up.
- And the longer we wait, the more we fall behind economically, medically, and morally.
Why this matters to you
This isn’t just political. It’s personal. If you’re someone who:
- Uses cannabis to manage pain, sleep, anxiety, or other health issues…
- Wants the right to grow your own medicine safely…
- Believes in natural healing and the freedom to choose what you put in your body…
- Or simply wants to stop seeing people’s lives ruined by outdated drug laws…
Then what’s happening in Germany, Portugal, and Malta should matter to you. Because it shows that another path is possible.
A path based on evidence, compassion, and choice. A path where cannabis is recognised for what it is – a plant with healing potential, not a criminal weapon.
And if we want the UK to walk that path, we need to stay informed, speak up, and support the growing movement for change.
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